Eraser cleaner



July 13, 194 F. L. HENNEFEl ERASER CLEANER Filed Feb. 19, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l (his: He

y 1943- I I F. L. HENl lEFER 2,323,908

ERASER CLEANER Filed Feb; 19, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 13, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ERASER CLEANER Fred L. Hennefer, Salt Lake City, Utah Application February 19, 1941, Serial No. 379,669

1 Claim. (01. 15-12) This invention relates to improvements in cleaners and more particularly to a machine especially designed for cleaning blackboard erasers, and the like, the primary object ofthe present invention being the provision of means for bracing the vibrating or cleaning element in a manner to relieve strain from the motor bearing.

A further object of the invention is the production of an improvement over my previous Patent No. 2,163,788, upon an Eraser cleaner, issued June 27, 1939, wherein the parts are so as' sembled as to reduce wear to a minimum, and the device is mounted upon a suitable cushion to reduce noise while the device is in operation.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear throughout the following specification and claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view, certain parts being shown in elevation;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure l, certain parts being shown in elevation;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional View taken on line 5-5 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the rocker arm assembly, bearings and associated parts.

By referring to the drawings, it will be seen that a casing I is mounted upon a suitable base II, which base II is supported upon a cushion or sponge rubber pad I2. is provided at one end of the casing I0, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, and this chamber I3 is adapted to contain an electric motor of a conventional type. A fan chamber I4 is arranged adjacent the inner end of the motor chamber I3, and a cleaning chamber I is arranged adjacent the fan chamber I4, as shown. A shaft i6 of the electric motor is extended from the motor chamber I3 substantially centrally through the chambers I4 and I5, as shown.

An exhaust fan I! is mounted on the shaft I6 and is mounted and adapted to withdraw or exhaust air from the chamber I5 through the opening I8 of the wall I9 which wall I9 separates the chambers I4 and I5. The air is then discharged through spout 29 which is adapted to receive and support the mouth of a suitable dust bag.

The cleaning chamber I5 is provided with a rectangular opening 2|, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, at the top thereof. A rectangular clean- A motor chamber I3 5.

ing element 22 similar to that shown in my previous patent above identified is mounted in this opening 2| in spaced relation relative to the side walls of the opening 2I, as shown in Figure 1 and is arranged to reciprocate therein. An

eraser is adapted to be held by an operator at the upper end of the opening 2| for beating contact with the cleaning element 22. The cleaning element 22 is in the form of a grid consisting of transverse and longitudinal bars or slats, so as to permit of the free entry of air and dust to the cleaning chamber I5. The cleaning element 22 is connected by an integral supporting arm 23 withthe motor shaft I6 through the medium of a ball-bearing 24 riding upon an eccentric crank pin 25 forming a part of the motor shaft I6. As the shaft I6 rotates, the cleaning element 22 because of the connection with the eccentric crank pin 25, will reciprocate rapidly and produce a bearing action against an eraser held in beating contact with the cleaning element 22. The shaft I6 is journaled in the ballbearings 26 and 21, the bearing 2'! being supported by the boss 28 carried by the wall I9 and within the opening I8. In this way, the shaft I6 will be efficiently supported upon opposite sides of the supporting arm 23 by ball-bearings 26 and 21.

A pair of bracing links 2% are secured at their inner ends to a shaft 39, which shaft 30 is mounted in a ball-bearing journal 3i. The bearing 3| is carried by the supporting arm 23 directly above the bearing 2 and the eccentric crank pin 25. As shown, in Figures 2 and 8, the links 29 extend at approximately right angles to the vertical axis of the supporting arm and are arranged one bracing link upon each side of the arm 25. The opposite ends of the bracing links 29 are rockably anchored to a journal pin 32, which in 32 has its end portions mounted in the ball-bearing journals 33 carried by the inner faces of the side walls or the cleaning chamber iii.

It will be noted by considering the drawings that the bracing links 29 will brace the supporting arm 23 above the eccentric crank pin 25 and hold the supporting arm 23 against any appreciable forward and backward movement or lateral movement and at. all times out of contact with the side walls of the opening 2i, as will be obvious by considering Figure 1, because of the space between the side walls of the opening 2! and the side edges of the cleaning element 22. The links 29 are connected to the supporting a 23 by ball-bearing journals and are secured at their opposite ends to the casing 59 by means of ball-bearing journals as described. The supporting arm may properly reciprocate under the movement of the eccentric crank pin 25, and this arm 23 may slightly swing upon the joural' pin 30 to compensate for the movement of the crank pin 25, the links 29 having an up-and-down swinging movement. These links 29 will provide an efiicient brace for the supporting arm 23 above the eccentric crank pin 25, and because of this bracing action and the mounting of the ballbearings a quiet and efiicient movement of the part may be provided particularly in view of the fact that the base II is mounted upon the cushioning pad 12, which pad is preferably formed of sponge rubber. Furthermore, the bearing 21 will brace the shaft I 6 and relieve considerable strain from the motor which drives the shaft l6. While free up-and-down motion is provided for the cleaning or heating element 22, the braces 29 will efficiently hold the supporting arm 23 and the beating element or vibrator 22 against side-to-side and end-to-end movement.

Certain detail changes in the construction may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention, so long as such changes fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new is:

An eraser cleaner of the class described comprising a casing having an eraser cleaning chamber formed therein, said casing having an eraser receiving opening in the upper end thereof into which opening an eraser to be cleaned is adapted to be fitted, said opening communicating with said cleaning chamber, an eraser cleaning element mounted within said opening and inset with respect to the outer end thereof for contacting an eraser placed within said opening for cleaning the eraser, the cleaning element and opening being substantially rectangular in shape, a supporting arm engaging the cleaning element; and extending inwardly of the cleaning chamber, an eccentric shaft engaging the inner end of said supporting arm and extending transversely of the cleaning chamber and located inwardly relative to the open outer end of said chamber, means for driving said eccentric shaft for reciprocating said cleaning element in a manner whereby the cleaning element will beat against an eraser placed within said eraser receiving opening, a second transverse shaft journaled upon said supporting arm and interposed between said cleaning element and said eccentric shaft, said shafts extending in substantially parallel alignment, parallel bracing links journaled at their inner ends to said second transverse shaft and extending laterally of said supporting arm, and means i for journalling the opposite ends of said links to the casing near one side of said chamber for holding said supporting arm against undue swaying movement and holding said cleaning element at all times out of contact with the side walls of said open outer end to facilitate free movement of the cleaning element durin the operation of said cleaning element.

FRED L. HENNEFER. 

